LIHEAP DCL 2022-13 Third/Final Non-Supplemental Funding Release FY 2022

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Dear Colleague Letter

DCL#:  LIHEAP-DCL-2022-13

DATE:  August 15, 2022

TO:  Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Grant Recipients

SUBJECT:  Third/Final FY 2022 LIHEAP Non-Supplemental Funding Release

ATTACHMENT(S):   

1. FY 2022 Third Funding Release of Non-Supplemental LIHEAP Block Grant Funds to States and Territories
2. FY 2022 Third Funding Release of Non-Supplemental LIHEAP Block Grant Funds to Tribes and Tribal Organizations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS), Division of Energy Assistance (DEA), is releasing $38 million in a third and final round of non-supplemental funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022.

Congress appropriated these funds under the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103), which provided the final budget for FY 2022 and which the President signed into law on March 15, 2022.

As of today, OCS has allocated 100% of the LIHEAP funding available to grant recipients for FY 2022. Recipients must obligate 90 percent of their total FY 2022 award by September 30, 2022 and may carryover the remaining 10 percent to obligate in FY 2023.  Recipients may use these funds for any purpose normally authorized under the federal LIHEAP statute (42 USC 8621 et seq.), including heating, cooling, crisis, weatherization assistance, case management for the reduction of home energy burden, and administrative costs. LIHEAP can also be used to help with immediate and temporary home energy needs caused by natural disasters.

Last month, OCS issued updated heat stress guidance that strongly encourages LIHEAP grant recipients to use available funding to implement program and policy changes to mitigate heat stress this summer. For more information about how some LIHEAP grant recipients are using LIHEAP and American Rescue Plan funds to mitigate heat stress this summer, please see the recently released Cooling Assistance one-pager (PDF).

For further details about today’s funding release, see the attached tables that show the release amounts for states, territories, and tribes and tribal organizations.

Please contact your DEA liaison if you have any questions or need any assistance.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to OCS partners.

/s/
Dr. Lanikque Howard
Director
Office of Community Services